Disclaimer: You know the drill. See chapter 1.
One Month Later:
Naruto bows respectfully to the Fourth Kazekage with the Sound Five. Orochimaru and Anko stand on either side of them. "Hello, Lord Kazekage," Orochimaru hisses. "I am so glad that you could meet with us."
"I was surprised when I heard that all of the Sannin defected from Konoha and then showed up on my doorstep. Do you wish to join Suna?" the Kazekage inquires professionally.
Orochimaru smirks, "No. I am here for my own purposes. Namely, I would like to solidify our alliance."
"How?" the Kazekage frowns suspiciously under his mask. His Anbu tense up around him.
Orochimaru slowly smiles, "By meeting your Jinchuriki. I assure you that he will not be able to harm me."
"I am not responsible if he kills any of your men," the Kazekage warns quickly.
Orochimaru steps forward, his yellow eyes glowing. "Just show me the boy." The Kazekage waves for his very tense Anbu to relax and to retrieve Gaara.
Of the five that went to retrieve him, only two come back with the boy walking between them. He has an impassive stare fixed on his face as he approaches the group. He looks at Orochimaru and then at the other children. "Gaara, this is the Sannin Orochimaru and his ninja," the Kazekage says cautiously. Gaara stares at them, his sand swishing around inside his gourd. Blood drips from his gourd slowly.
Naruto grins and holds out his hand, "Hi, I'm Naruto!" Gaara stares at his hand for a long moment.
The red head murmurs, "Mother wants your blood."
Naruto smirks, "Well tell mother that she can't have any of my blood or Kyuubi will be mad at her." Gaara seems to think before his eyes go wide. The sand around him becomes very turbulent, swishing dust into the air.
Gaara murmurs in surprise, "Mother…is sorry." Orochimaru smiles knowingly at the Kazekage who seems to be in shock.
"Good!" Naruto exclaims, draping his arm over Gaara's shoulder in a brotherly manner. He points out his team, "That's Kimimaro, Jolly Jirobo, Strange Sakon, Creepy Kidomaru, and the loveliest girl ever Tayuya!" Gaara nods to them while Tayuya bites her tongue to stop from yelling at him in front of the Kazekage. Kimimaro bows to Gaara slightly. The Kazekage raises an eyebrow at the introductions while Anko chuckles at the expressions on Naruto's teammates' faces.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Gaara of the sand," Kimimaro says slowly. Gaara stares at him apathetically and shrugs. He looks up at his father with cold eyes.
The Kazekage explains, "These are our new allies."
"I will go with them," Gaara states.
The Kazekage frowns, "I never gave you permission to leave the village."
"I didn't ask for it, did I?" Gaara growls. The sand flows around the boy's feet in a trail from his gourd. The small red haired boy glares up at his father dangerously. "Mother has no problems taking your blood."
The Kazekage snaps, "Silence, Gaara! Continue and I will have you executed for treason." The Sound Five tense up. Jirobo rubs his hands together expectantly while Tayuya slowly lifts her flute towards her lips. Kidomaru glances at the number of Anbu and quickly comes up with a strategy to take them out, sticky yellow web forming in his palms. Sakon creeps forward slightly and stares at the Kazekage intently for any exposed skin while flexing his fingers. Naruto continues grinning, but one look in his eye reveals the hard gaze of a killer. Shadow clones appear beneath him, ready to pop out of the sand to attack at a moment's notice. Orochimaru watches with amusement. His own hand rests on the hilt of the Grass Cutter Sword.
"You can try," Gaara intones. Naruto cheers on Gaara while Anko whispers something in his ear. He frowns and nods. He turns back to his father, "I will stay here for now. However, these ninja will train with me."
Orochimaru smiles at the Kazekage. "I have no objections."
The Kazekage glares down at his son before answering, "Fine. I will allow your training of Gaara. But, he cannot leave the village without his teacher Baki and his siblings Temari and Kankuro!"
Anko grins menacingly, "We wouldn't dream of taking him outside the village, other than to practice jutsu in your vast desert. That would be okay, right?"
The Anbu look to their Kazekage worriedly since they are unsure of his answer. He thinks about it for a long moment and nods. "My Anbu will be watching."
"I would have it no other way," Orochimaru smirks. Naruto cheers and pulls Gaara to his teammates. The blonde enthusiastically carries on about how they are all going to get super strong. Gaara looks around the group for any hatred filled looks. The only look that he finds even remotely close to it is the look Tayuya is giving the loud mouth. He allows himself to show a very small smile. The Kazekage sees the smile and frowns more before turning on his heels and walking away in long strides. The Anbu disappear in swirls of sand.
Naruto whispers to Anko, "What did you tell Gaara?"
Anko replies very quietly, "That he can join us later after the invasion of Konoha. Lord Orochimaru has given me the authority for such decisions." Naruto smiles cheerfully and nods in agreement.
Once the Kazekage is out of earshot, Sakon whines, "It's so hot here! My makeup is going to run for sure!"
"Shut up, you yellow-livered cross dressing moron!" Tayuya shouts.
Jirobo mumbles, "A lady shouldn't use such language, Tayuya."
"That goes for you too, fatso!" Tayuya snaps loudly. Naruto stares at her with hearts in his eyes which earns him a wack over the head from Tayuya's flute. Gaara raises an eyebrow and watches their interaction with interest. Sakon tries to pull a kunai to try to teach Tayuya a lesson, but he finds that his weapons pouch is filled with and covered by spider webs. Kidomaru whistles innocently.
Anko snaps her fingers and they all fall silent. She says, "Gaara, I am Lord Orochimaru's personal assistant Anko Mitarashi. You may call me Lady Anko." Gaara nods slowly and eyes the Sannin distrustfully.
"Kukuku, you don't trust me," chuckles Orochimaru. His eyes narrow and he hisses, "That is very wise of you not to trust me. You have great potential. My comrade the Toad Sannin will be here in a few days to look at your seal and modify it so that you can sleep, but so that you maintain a steady control over the sand. Shukaku will no longer be able to speak to you. He will merely protect you." Gaara's eyes fill with a small amount of hope before it vanishes and is replaced by a cold glare.
Gaara states solemnly, "We'll see when he comes."
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